Social Process Theory

Social Process Theory

Social Process and Crime

In the social process theory, three areas are covered. The three are social learning theory, social control theory, and social reaction theory.

The definition of the social learning theory is People learn through observing others’ behavior, attitudes, and outcomes of those behaviors. “Most human behavior is learned observationally through modeling: from observing others, one forms an idea of how new behaviors are performed, and on later occasions this coded information serves as a guide for action.” (Learning Theories Knowledgebase ). Most people learn through watching other. As a child, we learn by mocking what we have observed repeatedly. This is how we learn to walk, talk, speak, and to feed ourselves. We also learn social skills from the people around us. We learn right from wrong, we learn what is acceptable in our everyday lives. We also learn societal norms. Most children learn social norms from the family structure. If the family structure is broken or not complete it may cause problems for the children. If the family has only one parent then the family unit suffers. If the child is part of a family that has deviant problems then the child learns that these problems are the norm. This could lead to the child to think that drinking or drugs are normal. It is also a factor if the child observes crime in the family unit. The child learns that crime is normal until they run up against society who states otherwise.

Another factor in the development of children is the education that they receive. If a child has a good experience in school, they will come out a better person. If the child has antisocial behavior, the experience in school may make that behavior wor...

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...student as slow then the student, may feel that the teacher has given up on them and not put forth the effort do well in school. The most devastating labels are put on the poor and the powerless. They do not have the fight in them to reverse the label and therefore believe that the label is true.

In the end, the Social Process Theory shows a relationship of deviant behavior and how this behavior is learned. It also shows how people react to social norms in a community. Then people are labeled and respond to those labels if they cannot rise above them.

Works Cited

Learning Theories Knowledgebase . (n.d.). Retrieved June 19, 2010, from Learning Theories Knowledgebase : http://www.learning-theories.com/social-learning-theory-bandura.html

Sutherland, E. H. (1939). Principles of Criminology. Philadelphia : Lippincott.